


Decisions

by KARMA (MeSuBe84)



Category: Tom Hardy - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-14
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-02-13 02:12:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2133186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeSuBe84/pseuds/KARMA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rough around the edges Tommy, meets a strong minded and passionate Vivien. He is not prepared for the effect this woman will have on his body and heart. Will Tommy allow himself to fall for someone? If he does, can he show Vivien that he is different from every other man she has met?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Crash Course

He was not paying attention as he walked up the steps to the administration building. He was in his own world, listening to his iPod and bobbing his head as he walked with his head down. He accidentally crashed into her, sending her flying backwards onto the concrete steps. He immediately reached down to help her and as he did, he realized who it was. She had caught his eye a few times before...

 

Vivien was absent-mindedly walking down the steps from the administration building, fumbling in her purse for her keys...a little dark haired boy dawdling behind.

"Hurry up Luke, we gotta go buddy."

She turned to see how far behind he was and before she knew it, she was hit by a massive force that caused her to tumble backwards on to her ass.

"What the hell?!" She said, looking up to see who had knocked her down

She found herself looking into a pair of piercing, dark green eyes. The man before her was solid like a brick wall. He looked like a thug with his baggy jeans, hat pulled low and his hoodie pulled up over it as well. He had a pair of ear buds on, which explained his lack of attention. She automatically called him an idiot inside her head but when she looked at him again, she saw genuine concern in his eyes. He kneeled down quickly to check on her.

"Hey, are you okay? I'm so sorry, I wasn't payin' attention. Are you hurt?"

She noted he had an accent. Definitely East Coast. Sexy....Vivien shook her head, clearing the thought.

"Uh...I think I'm okay. Luke! Where's Luke?!"

She whipped around to see her son standing a few steps above her with his hand in his mouth, looking at her curiously. Vivien tried to push herself up and winced as pain shot through her right arm. The man reached out for her.

"Your elbow is scraped up a bit, let me help you."

He took her left hand and supported her body with his right arm as he lifted her up effortlessly. Vivien gave him a half smile and quickly moved away from his reach.

"Thanks, I'm fine though."

She straightened her clothes and dusted herself off. Her rear end hurt from the fall but he didn't need to know that much info. She cradled her arm and then realized that the contents of her purse, along with her notebooks were strewn on the ground.

"Oh crap" She whispered and bent down to gather her belongings. He immediately began helping her and collected her notebooks, stacking them neatly and holding them for her.

"Luke, come on Honey, we gotta get going."

The little boy stood next to her and stared up at the man towering before him. He smiled down at Luke.

"Hey little man. How ya doin'?" Luke dropped his head and stared at his shoes.

"He's shy" Vivien said as she she took her notebooks from him. "He doesn't talk to people he doesn't know."

The man looked a bit hurt by her tone.

"Ah, that's alright. I guess I have that effect on kids. Look I'm really sorry, I'm a clutz. You sure you're alright? Can I help you clean up your arm or somethin'?"

Vivien shook her head quickly and pushed Luke forward.

"I'll be fine, really it's no big deal. Look, I gotta go."

He noticed that she was in a hurry and seemed distracted, maybe even a little put off by him and his appearance. He watched as she grabbed the little boy's hand and walked away. He felt like an ass for making her uncomfortable and not doing more to help. Then again, she was reluctant to even speak to him.

Vivien winced as she walked and she could feel him watching her, so she tried to walk as normal as possible. As she got to her car and opened the door for Luke to climb into his booster seat, she couldn't get over that guy's eyes. She wasn't able to keep herself from glancing over her shoulder, taking one last look at the man that ended her day with complete chaos.


	2. Introductions

Over the next few weeks, Vivien saw him around campus. She would go out of her way to avoid him...ducking behind cars or running into the women's restroom. She didn't want him to talk to her and she didn't want to be reminded of the day he knocked her on her ass. She was embarrassed enough by it. A couple people saw her the next day and had asked if she was alright. Apparently they had witnessed the whole thing. She just wanted to forget about it. She wasn't interested in talking to anyone or getting to know people. She only wanted to finish school, get her degree and make a better life for her and Luke. He was all that mattered and he was the driving force behind her motivation.

She was in class one day, frustrated with note taking and was doodling in her notebook. She pretty much had this class down and just showed up to get attendance credit and to make sure she didn't miss anything. She was jotting down a grocery list when the classroom door opened and HE walked in. He was late and the teacher gave him a sideways glare. He whispered an apology and went to find a seat. Vivien noticed the way women responded to him. Even the teacher was sneaking a peek. Their jaws dropped and they ogled him obnoxiously, their eyes trailing up and down his body. He didn't seem to notice or he didn't care. Vivien always sat in the back of the room, in an effort not to be called upon and to keep to herself. She had a good view of him from her seat. She noticed how built he was, the way his shirt stretched over his broad shoulders and back muscles. He had a 5 o'clock shadow going on but he wore it naturally without it making him look tired or dirty. His scruff failed to hide the perfect, plump lips that complimented his face. Vivien sunk into her seat in a miserable effort to hide and buried her head in her notebook as he made his way through the room to find a table.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw her. She was staring at her notes and chewing her bottom lip. She looked up slowly and met his gaze. He gave her a sweet smile and she couldn't help the tightening in her stomach. She responded with a small polite smile and went back to her notes. He took that smile as a green light. There was an empty chair at her table, so he took a deep breath and walked up. He cleared his throat...

"Do you mind?" He asked, motioning to the chair.

She quickly glanced up and then shook her head. He took the seat across from her and began going over his notes. He had paid some guy that had this class earlier in the day, to give him a copy. The guy was a nerd and was more than happy to oblige. He just wanted to ace this test and pass this class. He always hated school but he needed to get a business degree if he was going to have anything of his own one day. However, he was now too distracted to focus...distracted by the way she cocked her head back and forth as she was writing and the way she bit her lip or chewed on her pen when she was concentrating. She sat like a child with both her knees pulled up to her chest, one arm hugging them while the other took notes. He saw the small pink mark on her elbow from where she had fallen. A tiny reminder of their first encounter. He could tell when she got frustrated by the little frown lines that appeared when she furrowed her brow. He wanted to reach over and smooth them out. He just wanted to touch her again. After that first day, he couldn't stop thinking about how her body felt in his arms as he helped her up and the way she smelled...It was intoxicating and it lingered with him for the rest of the day.

He couldn't keep his eyes off of her full mouth. The way she was biting her lip made him think bad thoughts. She glanced up a couple of times and caught him looking at her. She would blush and then look away but not before he got a glimpse of those deep brown eyes. They were surrounded by long, thick lashes and could penetrate a person's soul. They held wisdom and passion and they were easy to get lost in. When she ran a hand through her long hair, he about had a heart attack. She was sexy, exotic looking and she was more beautiful than any woman he had seen in a very long time. He had to know this woman and he wasn't going to let her get away so easy this time.

The teacher was giving some boring lecture and it was all he could do to keep from nodding off. He leaned back in his chair and stretched, causing his shirt to rise and giving the perfect peek of his boxers and toned stomach. Vivien took in the site and then chided herself immediately. She didn't think he had seen her looking. She didn't need to be embarrassed again. He had seen her looking and he chuckled to himself. He ripped a sheet of paper from his notebook and wrote a single sentence. He slid it to her discreetly. Vivien snapped back to reality when she saw the piece of paper slide in front of her. She raised an eyebrow and realized it was a note...from him.

"How's your arm?"

One sentence, one question, sent her into a panic inside her head. The bitch in her immediately started criticizing him. _What is this? Elementary school? We're passing notes now?_ She shot that part of herself down and decided that it was kind of a cute gesture. She glanced up at him to find him staring at her, rolling a toothpick around in his mouth, leaning forward on the table with his his hands folded, waiting patiently. She swallowed hard at the look on his face. It was predatory but...sexy. He cocked his eyebrow and motioned to the note with his head. She quickly jotted her response and passed the note back to him.

"It's better. Thank you."

He grinned at her short, polite response. She wasn't much for conversation apparently. He kind of liked that. He usually wasn't one for talking to people either but something about her made him want to open up. He wrote another sentence.

"I'm Tommy Conlon"

She stared at it. She didn't want to know his name. She didn't want to know him. She didn't want to be rude. She responded.

"I'm Vivien Downs"

He loved her name. _Vivien._  He repeated it in his head over and over as he stared at her. He loved the way it sounded, the way it flowed. It was beautiful, graceful and rare just like her.

Vivien started to close her notebook as she noticed that he leaned closer to her and had his hand out. She stared at him like he was a leper. She realized what he wanted. She put her shaky hand in his and shook it. He savored the feel of her hand in his and held it for a moment, gently grazing his thumb over her soft skin.

"Nice to meet you" he whispered.

"Nice...to meet you" she mumbled. Then to his surprise, she quickly grabbed her notebook and her purse and ran out of the room.


	3. Dancing Queen

Vivien felt rather childish for the way that she ran out of class but she had not expected Tommy to have that kind of effect on her. Vivien was an introvert and had been out of the dating scene for awhile. She had all but forgotten how to interact with a man and a man like that? Forget about it. There had to be a catch. There was no way that a man that looked like Tommy Conlon could actually be interested in someone like her....could he? Vivien lay awake in bed that night thinking of the way Tommy rolled that toothpick between his perfect lips. She was in no position to get involved with anyone at the time. She had Luke to think about and he was the most important person in her life. She didn't think she could make room for anyone else, nor did she want to. One thing was for sure, Tommy Conlon was the first man in a long time to make her reconsider her celibate lifestyle.

 

Vivien had dropped Luke off at the sitters and was on her way to meet her friend Erica for an early morning dance session. They used the dance room on campus due to Erica pulling some strings with the dance instructor. She hooked him up with one of her friends and in return, he let her use the dance room on certain days. Vivien looked forward to her days with Erica. They would gossip and vent about relationships or lack there of, plus it was a great way to de-stress, stay in shape and have a bit of fun. They could just screw around and be silly. Erica was already warming up when Vivien arrived. They greeted each other with the usual hug and kiss and Erica immediately began to dish on her most recent boy toy. Vivien enjoyed listening to Erica's stories about her romps with strange hot men. It allowed Vivien to live vicariously through her. Erica was beautiful with smooth cocoa skin and model like features. She always had men drooling over her and when she danced, it was even worse. She had stripper moves and had taught Vivien a few, "just in case" she got lucky. Erica was always trying to hook Vivien up with someone or tried to get her to go clubbing on the weekends but Vivien always opted to stay home with Luke, who she always said was the only man she needed. Erica would roll her eyes and laugh and usually gave some sassy remark about Vivien needing to get laid. Vivien tried to bite  her tongue about Tommy but finally decided to tell Erica about their rough encounter.

"So....there's this guy on campus and I was wondering if you've seen him around or if you know him" Erica knew almost everybody that went to Pima CC.

"Yeah I probably do. What's his name?"

Vivien tried to play coy but was failing miserably. "Um...I think his name is Tommy...Conlon. Something like that."

"Big dude, tattoos, walks around like he's gonna rip someones face off, hot as all hell?"

"Yeah he's pretty built and has tattoos. I guess he walks like that." Vivien thought of Tommy walking toward her in the class room and shivered. He definitely walked like he was on a mission.

Erica nodded. "Yep I've seen him around. He's not much of a talker though. Pretty much keeps to himself. I've seen all kinds of bitches trying to get with him but he don't be giving them the time of day. Maybe he's gay. Shit, either way, I'd still hit it. That dude is fine as hell and if we had a class together, he'd definitely be gettin' that A girl!"

Vivien laughed at her crazy friend. Erica could get any man she wanted and she was pretty sure Tommy was no exception. Erica was still rambling on about the things she'd let Tommy do to her but Vivien was thinking of the day before when he stretched and showed off his abs. She shook her head and gave Erica her full attention again.

"Uh...yeah I guess. If you're into that sort of thing." Vivien chuckled nervously.

Erica stopped mid stretch and narrowed her eyes at Vivien. A mischevious grin spread across her face.

"You little minx! You like him!" Erica clapped her hands excitedly. There were so many ideas popping into her brain.

"No! No! No!" Vivien waved her hands wildly at Erica. "It's not even like that. We had a strange encounter a couple weeks ago and then again yesterday but it's not big deal. I just wanted to know if he was a psycho." Vivien bit her lip, hoping that she was convincing. Erica jumped up and down and shrieked.

"Ahhh! This is so good! We gonna hook you up girl! Oh my God! We should double date! We could go shopping and get you a new outfit, something sexy! Yes, yes! I like the sounds of this!"

Vivien could feel her anxiety kicking in as Erica was already planning her and Tommy's wedding.

"Erica pleeeease don't say anything! I don't like him! It was just a weird encounter thats all!"

Erica stopped in the middle of her mini celebration and looked at Vivien skeptically, one hand on her hip.

"Ok girl, ok. Tell me everything that happened, starting from day one."

Vivien sighed and spilled all the details from her first literal run in with Tommy, to the note passing and her running out of the room. Her head was spinning by the time she was done telling the story. All she could think of was the way he looked at her. Erica stared at Vivien with wide eyes and her mouth gaped open.

"Damn girl. That dude don't talk to no one. People move out of the way when he walks by. I think he digs you and from the look on your face, I'd say the feeling is mutual."

Vivien shook her head. "I can't get involved with anyone E. You know that. I've been through too much and all I'm concerned about is getting this degree and making a better life for Luke. His happiness is what matters."

Erica took Vivien's hand and looked at her thoughtfully. "Viv, what about your happiness? You don't need to marry the guy but at least say hello. You can't live inside your shell forever. You deserve to have some fun and to be properly fucked once in awhile."

Vivien busted out laughing at Erica's bluntness. She always knew what to say to lighten the mood.

"Well, I'll think about it. I'm not saying i'll go out with him but i'll be nicer next time."

Erica smacked Vivien's ass. "Hell yeah girl! That's all i'm saying! Come on, let's dance!"

Vivien and Erica broke into their dance routine and practiced to Usher's "Yeah" and "Scream". Their routine was pretty risque but it was fun. They even threw in a little MJ's "The way you make me feel". They always cooled down with a slower sexier number. Their favorite was either "Pony" by Ginuwine or "Bump N' Grind" by R. Kelly. Vivien had worked up a nice sweat and was already down to wearing her sports bra. She and Erica finished up and did some cool down stretches. As they talked about where to go for food, Vivien had no idea that she was being watched almost the entire time.

 

 


	4. Cold showers and Batteries

Tommy had jogged about 7 miles so far and he wasn't even winded. He noticed that his evening runs got longer since he met Vivien. He hadn't even spent time with her and she was already bringing up all kinds of emotions that he wasn't used to. He loved women but he never got too attached, especially after seeing what his parents went through with each other. Tommy was in no hurry to experience that kind of pain or to inflict it on someone else. He felt he was no good to anybody. The only good he had done was in the corps and he even managed to screw that up. He only had casual sexual encounters with women that ended with him leaving in the middle of the night, if he happened to stay that long. Sometimes he was out the door as soon as the deed was done. There were never any promises of phone calls or future meetings. He was very clear on the rules from the beginning. Most women were okay with it because they were just eager to get him home, granted, those women were usually very insecure or just coming out of a relationship and wanted a meaningless rebound. Those situations worked out great for him. All he had to do was make a woman feel sexy for a few hours and everyone leaves happy. So needless to say, Tommy was shocked when he had met Vivien and didn't want to just sleep with her. He actually wanted to know her and he actually was concerned about her after he so clumsily knocked her down. Usually if a woman brushed him off the way she did, he didn't give a shit, it was on to the next but he was intrigued by her attitude and surliness. Women threw themselves at him but not her...she was different. She didn't care about his existence, she didn't ogle him the way other women did, she didn't even want to shake his hand. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with him....and he loved it. She was fine being alone, confident in her lonliness and she carried herself like a queen. A queen who had seen battle and wore her scars like armor and with pride. He could tell she was a loner and not much of a talker but she had a story and he was dying to know what it was.

Tommy found himself getting pissed off at the way he was reacting to her. This wasn't like him, he wanted to snap himself out of it but he convinced himself that getting to know someone, might not be such a bad thing. His mind flashed back to earlier that morning when he had seen her dancing. He didn't mean to spy on her but he just happened to walk by the dance studio on his way in from the back parking lot, where he was having a smoke. He heard the music and didn't think anything of it until he heard someone say her name. He peeked through the window and saw her acting silly with a friend of hers. He found himself smiling at the sound of her laugh. It was like he was seeing something forbidden. He could tell she didn't smile or laugh very often but when he saw her that morning, she was so carefree and happy, he thought he was looking at a completely different person. She was definitely misunderstood. Then she started dancing. He closed his eyes as he recalled the way she moved, the way her tight body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat as she performed moves he'd never seen. It wasn't just freaky, it was erotic and sensual. He knew that was how she must move in the bedroom. She didn't just dance, she made love to the music and she really felt it. He was hypnotized by her and couldn't tear himself away from the window. His body immediately reacted to the thought of her, the way she moved, the way she flipped her hair and especially the way she bit her lip and ran her hands over her body. It didn't help that she was scantily dressed in tiny shorts and a sports bra either. Tommy let out a groan of frustration and adjusted his pants. He picked up the pace as he ran back home. It was to be his fourth cold shower of the day.

Vivien sat at home that night, trying to study in between cleaning and making dinner. She still needed to feed Luke, give him a bath and put him to bed. She opted for a quick dinner of Mac and Cheese and hot dogs. Luke was more interested in playing with his food than eating it and refused to eat the hot dog bun. Vivien sat at the table going over her notes while trying to coax Luke into finishing his dinner.

"Honey you need to eat. It's almost time for bed and we still need to give you a bath."

Luke pouted his lip and stubbornly said "no. I'm not hungry mama."

"Yes you are. At least eat the weenie and take two big boy bites of your Mac and Cheese. Then we'll go play in the tub. You can use your new bubbles!"

Lukes eyes widened and a smile spread over his face. He giggled and clapped his hands. He went to town on his hot dog and bounced on his seat as he chanted "bubbles! bubbles!"

Vivien finally got Luke bathed and after the struggle of getting him to give up the bubbles, was able to get him into bed. He was nicely tucked into his Batman sheets and was hugging his favorite Batman action figure. Luke asked Vivien to sing to him, as he did every night. Vivien agreed to one song and sat on the edge of Luke's bed, softly singing "You Are My Sunshine". Luke was out cold before she was finished with the first verse. Vivien smiled down at her baby boy and smoothed his dark hair back from his forehead. She kissed him goodnight and left him to his innocent dreams. Vivien stared at her notes and sighed. She was over trying to study for the night. She put her notebooks away and went to get ready for bed. She was completely spent from the day and as she undressed, she couldn't help but regret that she never had any time for herself. School, work and Luke took up all of her time. She never regretted having Luke but being a single mother was so hard. She had always told herself that she would never have children and she especially never wanted to be a single mother. She saw what her own mother and sister went through and she always admired them for their strength. Now here she was in the same boat. Her life was supposed to be different. She had planned it differently but she accepted that this was how it was meant to be. She dreaded the day that Luke asked for his daddy. He was only 3 now and hadn't mentioned anything but he would be starting day care soon and she knew that he would be exposed to men and probably start questioning why there wasn't one in his life. She hadn't had a boyfriend in so long and she couldn't stand to think of the idea of letting someone into her son's life and having them disappear. She just didn't trust anyone and she didn't trust herself enough to not fall in love with the wrong guy....again.

Vivien climbed into bed and as she stared at the ceiling, going over her list of things to do the next day, Tommy's face popped into her mind. She wondered if Erica wasn't right. Maybe she should give it a shot and just talk to him. Maybe he was different. She scoffed out loud. _Yeah right Viv. Like he'd be any_ _different_. _He's bad news._ She closed her eyes and tried to will herself to sleep but he wouldn't go away. She thought of how his hand felt when he shook hers. It was strong and a bit rough, as if he had worked hard his whole life. Her hand had looked so tiny compared to his. She thought of how he stared at her, those deep green eyes piercing her all the way through as he worked that toothpick around his mouth with his tongue. She shuddered at the thought of what he could do with that tongue and that voice, so husky with that east coast accent. The way his muscles bulged and threatened to burst the seams on his shirts, the way his arms flexed with every move and were decorated with intricate tattoos. The knock out blow was his smile, the way one side of his mouth curved up into that mischevious grin and he flashed those dimples...O _h my god! Viv, you're screwed!_ In the midst of all her thinking, she hadn't realized that her hand had wandered down between her legs and was now feeling the moist heat that had been created by Tommy Conlon's mental image. She squeezed her legs together and tried to get the vision of him out of her mind. She growled in frustration and reached into her nightstand for "Ol' Faithful", her only companion. She was in such desperate need of relief and with Tommy in mind, she had finished herself off in about 30 seconds. She hadn't even put her toy away before she had fallen into a deep sleep, with the bad boy Conlon infiltrating her dreams.

 

 


	5. Let's Try That Again

Vivien woke up late the next morning and rushed to get herself and Luke ready. She left him at the table eating a bowl of cereal as she hurriedly brushed her teeth and washed her face. There was no time to shower, she was already going to be late for her shift at the bar. She tossed her hair up into a messy ponytail, threw on a pair of skinny jeans and a tank top, found her converse and ran to the living room to finish getting Luke ready. She was out the door 20 minutes later and on her way to her friend Heydi's house to drop off Luke. Heydi worked part time as a Massage Therapist and was able to watch Luke on Friday's while Vivien went to work and school. She was blessed to have such amazing friends who looked out for her and her son. Heydi was also a mother of two and there was no one that Vivien trusted more to watch Luke and he loved being with Heydi and her family. Heydi's husband Dean, was a cop and devoted family man. He was basically the only male figure in Luke's life and he and Heydi cared for Luke as if he was one of their own. Dean had promised to watch the original Batman movie with Luke, who was totally prepared with his action figure in hand. After dropping off Luke and promising Heydi that she would make her dinner the next weekend, Vivien finally arrived to O' Malleys Pub. She was only about 15 minutes late but she needed to open up for the day. She had everything ready to go and opened the bar just in time for the regulars to start crawling in. Her shift went fairly quickly and she had a decent amount of tips for a day shift. Thankfully she had worn her low cut tank which did most of the work for her. Jacob O' Malley, the owner of the bar, arrived around 2pm to relieve her. He begged her to stay and work a double since they were short handed. The evening bartender had called out sick and he had no choice but to cover the shift himself if he couldn't talk Vivien into staying. She still had to get to her afternoon class which she would be late to if she couldn't get out of the bar on time. She apologized to Jacob for not being able to stay and help, even though she could really use the money. He understood and never made her feel bad about it. He was a sweet old Irish man and he adored her. He always tried to help her in any way he could. Vivien grabbed her stuff, high fived one of the regulars and ran out the door to haul ass to school.

It just wasn't her day. She got caught in traffic on the way to school, causing an onslaught of curse words at the other drivers. She tore into the campus parking lot like a bat out of hell. She received a nasty look from the security guard but she shouted an apology as she ran into the building. She ran as fast as she could to her class and bursted through the doors of a packed classroom, interrupting the professor's lecture. She was panting and doubled over trying to catch her breath. The entire class was dead silent and they stared at her like she had two heads.

"I'm...sorry! I'm so sorry im late Mr. Elens! It won't happen again...I promise."

Mr. Elens looked at her over his glasses and shook his head, giving a small chuckle. He motioned for her to sit down. "You haven't missed much. I was just about to go over the next assignment."

"Thank you...thank you Sir." Vivien made her way to the back of the room, prepared to take her usual seat. It definitely was not her day. She walked up to the table to find Tommy Conlon sitting in her seat. He was leaning back in the chair and had his feet propped up on the table. He smirked at her and eyeballed her up and down. She let out an annoyed puff of air and rolled her eyes. She sat in the chair across from him and was so irritated by the fact that he stole her seat, the seat she always sat in. She glared at him as she opened her notebook and began taking notes on the next assignment. She noticed that Tommy wasn't taking notes, he didn't even seem to have a notebook or a pen. He just sat there taking up space. Vivien became even more annoyed with his presence and the fact that he didn't appear to be taking the class seriously. She jotted down her notes angrily and ended up tearing the paper from writing too hard. A hand suddenly covered hers and she snapped her head up to find him leaning forward and staring at her. The feel of his hand caused flashbacks of the night before when she thought of him as she made herself climax. She turned bright red and felt her face get hot. She quickly pulled her hand away from him. How dare he try and get so familiar with her.

"Hey relax girl, you're lookin' a little tense today. You alright?"

"I'm fine!" She hissed and then lowered her voice to a whisper. "What business is it of yours and why did you steal my seat?!"

Tommy stared at her dumbfounded and then scoffed.

"Shit woman, I didn't realize that you staked a claim here. I can move, it's not a big deal but then again maybe you should be on time, then you wouldn't be so upset."

Vivien seethed. "You know nothing about me and do not presume to know me. You just sit there with that smug look on your perfect face and think this is all a big joke. You don't even take this class seriously! Why are you even here?!"

Vivien looked around and saw a few people staring at her before looking back at Tommy and seeing confusion etched on his face. She shook her head and dropped her eyes to the table.

"I...uh...I'm sorry. Excuse me." She grabbed her stuff and for the second time, ran out of the room, leaving Tommy wondering what the hell just happened.

 Vivien made her way to the restroom and splashed cold water on her face. _What the hell is wrong with you?_ She stared at herself in the mirror and took note of how tired she looked. She fixed her hair, sighed and headed for the campus library to do some research. At least there she'd be able to have some peace and quiet.

 

Tommy had no clue what the hell just happened. He was confused and frankly a bit pissed off. Who the hell did she think she was telling him off like that? He hadn't done anything to deserve such a verbal attack. He never thought that sitting in her seat would cause such an uproar, he actually meant it as a joke. He pictured the entire scenario going much differently. After class, Tommy went to the campus library to meet the nerd that supplied him with notes. He walked around looking for his supplier when he recognized a familiar figure sitting in the back of the library. She sat with her head propped up on one hand as she quietly studied. He paused and stared at her for a moment before deciding to confront her. He was really going to give her a piece of his mind. He approached from behind her and cleared his throat as he stood behind her. When she did not turn around, he spoke.

"Hey princess. You mind explaining what happened back there?"

Still no answer. Tommy was getting really pissed at her lack of respect. She couldn't even be bothered to explain why she had snapped at him. Well he was going to get an explanation. He walked around the table to face her. He opened his mouth to speak again but stopped when he realized why she had been ignoring him. She was fast asleep. She snored lightly as her head rested on her fist. Tommy couldn't take his eyes off of her and he watched as her chest would rise and fall peacefully with each breath. He couldn't figure out if she was more beautiful awake or asleep. As cute as she looked, he still wanted a reason for her outburst. Tommy purposely dropped a book on the table creating a loud thud. Vivien snapped awake and her hand flew to her heart.

"Rise and shine princess." Tommy said sarcastically.

Vivien blinked and stared at him wide eyed as she tried to adjust to her surroundings. She looked around and realized that she had fallen asleep. She rubbed her eyes and stretched. She reminded Tommy of a cat, waking up from her afternoon nap who would then start to lick her paws and groom herself. He chuckled to himself and then shook his head, reminding himself to focus. Vivien yawned.

"I guess I fell asleep. What time is it?"

Tommy scoffed. "Oh, so you're being nice now? You're not gonna bite my head off again?"

Vivien's eyes widened as she recalled her behavior in class. She noticed that he was glaring at her. She dropped her head and blushed. She was embarrassed at her actions. She had made a fool out of both of them. Tommy noticed her face turn beet red and realized that she hadn't meant to yell at him. Internally, he forgave her immediately but she didn't need to know that yet.

"So let's try this again. You wanna tell me what that was all about?" He raised his eyebrows as he waited for her response

"Um...I'm really sorry." Vivien said softly, "I was wrong to treat you that way."

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Tommy cupped his ear as he pretended not to hear her. Vivien rolled her eyes and sighed. She spoke louder.

"I said I'm sorry for treating you that way. It was wrong of me."

Tommy smirked at her. "Well now that wasn't so hard was it? Apology accepted."

Vivien rolled her eyes again "Did you come over here just to mess with me?"

Tommy winked at her, causing a tightening in her gut. "Nah princess, I just wanted to know what was wrong. I knew you didn't mean it. So....what's the problem?"

Vivien squirmed in her seat. She didn't really want to confide in him, she barely knew him and she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him. Then again, he seemed genuinely concerned about why she had been upset. In her mind, she pictured Erica standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at her. A subtle reminder to be nice and take a chance.

"Come on. You can tell me. I'm a good listener." He grinned at her, flashing his dimples. _Oh God, not the dimples._ She stared at him, taking in his features and her eyes eventually falling to his lips. Tommy noticed her distraction and on purpose, licked his lips. Her eyes quickly looked elsewhere and he laughed. She was a master at hard to get. He waved his hand in front of her face to get her attention.

"I guess i'm just tired and stressed out. Overwhelmed with life." She stared at her hands as she spoke. Refusing to make eye contact with him. "I'm really sorry again Tommy. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." She finally looked at him and smiled the sweetest smile.

 _Damn you're beautiful._ Tommy thought to himself and he realized that it was the first time she had ever said his name. He watched her mouth as she spoke and loved the way his name came out of it. He started thinking that he would love to make her say his name repeatedly, in a more intimate fashion. He started picturing what she would look like screaming his name in the throws of a climax. He realized that she had been talking and he wasn't even paying attention. He nodded his head to make it look like he was listening. He brought himself back to the conversation.

"Maybe you just need a day off from life. Take a couple deep breaths. Life's not that serious. You gotta have a little fun you know?"

Vivien laughed, "Yeah right! That'll be the day when I can go on vacation and have fun!" Tommy chuckled and figured since she was in a good mood, he would seize the opportunity to quickly work up the nerve for his next question.

"You know Vivien I was thinking, that maybe sometime we could-"

"Tommy! Hey Tommy!" He was interrupted by a nerdy looking guy in glasses and an argyle sweater that was walking up to the table in a hurry. "Hey man, sorry I'm late! I got held up after my last class!

It was his note supplier, Gary. Gary was pretty much a genius and was more than happy to do whatever Tommy asked, partly out of fear but also for the money. Tommy panicked when he saw Gary and immediately rose from the table. Vivien eyed him confused and looked back and forth between Tommy and his nerdy companion. Gary looked at Vivien and flashed her a grin. He was sticking his hand out to introduce himself when Tommy grabbed his arm and pushed him away.

"Hey, uh Vivien...look i'll talk to you later alright?" He didn't give her time to respond, as he winked at her and pulled Gary away by the arm. Vivien sat at the table and watched Tommy leave the library. This time, she was the one looking confused and wondering what the hell was going on.

 


	6. Agreement

Tommy pushed Gary into the wall outside the library, "What the hell you doin'?" Gary, flustered, fixed his glasses. "You said to meet you in the library at four." Tommy backed Gary into the wall and spoke quietly, "We have an agreement. You don't approach me. I find you. Got it?" Gary nodded quickly. Tommy backed up and held his hand out, "So you got something for me?" Gary shuffled through his folder and produced a small packet. "These are the notes for the next test." Tommy looked them over and then reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. Gary reached for it but Tommy held it just out of his reach. "You don't forget our deal again." Gary gulped and nodded his head, "I won't. I'm sorry." Tommy paid him and pushed him aside. Gary stumbled and as he righted himself, his eyes grew wide with surprise. Tommy turned to find Vivien watching them. She stood with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed at Tommy. Gary nodded to her before quickly walking off. Vivien walked over to Tommy and stood toe to toe with him. She eyed the packet in his hand. "What's that?" Tommy cleared his throat and laughed it off, "It's nothin'. Ol' Gary he just owed me a favor ya know?" Vivien nodded skeptically before quickly swiping the packet from his hand. Tommy lunged for it but she turned her back to keep it from him. She scoffed, "These aren't just notes. These are the answers to a test!" She threw the packet back at Tommy. He grabbed it and rolled the packet in his hands, "look it ain't what you think alright?" Vivien shook her head, "you know for a second I actually thought you were a decent guy but you're just a bully. You bully that poor guy into doing your work for you." Tommy chuckled, "I ain't bullied nobody. I pay Gary for his services." Vivien laughed, "That's even worse Tommy." She gave him a disgusted look. He instantly became pissed at her judgement. He stepped closer to her, "Who the hell are you to judge me huh? It ain't any of your business anyway." Vivien smiled and held up her hands, "You know what? You're right." She turned and walked away. Tommy cursed at himself and immediately followed her. He chased after her through the parking lot, "Viv wait!" he yelled. She reached her car and unlocked the door without turning to acknowledge him. He caught up to her and quickly inserted himself between her and the car. She gave him a once over with an icy glare that he could swear made his testicles shrivel. She gave him a wicked grin. "Sweetie, the last thing you want to do, is stand in my way. Don't think for one second that I won't drop your ass in this parking lot." He was shocked by her aggression and he hated to admit it but a bit turned on as well. Gone was the sweet, shy, insecure woman and before him stood a gangster. Not the ghetto kind but a 1930's classy, deadly gangster who could scare the crap out of you without even raising her voice or using a gun. Her strength was her weapon. Tommy backed up and gave her some space although he kept one hand on her door. He pleaded with her, "Please Vivien, let me explain. It's not even that big of a deal." She scoffed at him, "So you don't think cheating is a big deal? Good to know." She moved to get into her car when he gently grabbed her arm. "Look, I'm sorry. Shit I don't even know what i'm apologizing for. I just needed some help is all." Vivien stared at him and softened a bit when she saw the shame in his eyes. "You need help Tommy?  You get a tutor. You don't pay someone to do the work for you. That doesn't even make any sense. How can you ever be proud of anything you accomplish if you didn't work for it?" He hung his head, "It's embarrassing. I ain't smart like you or like Gary. You both whiz through this stuff like it's cake. I've tried doing it on my own. I just can't." Vivien immediately felt for him. "You just haven't found the right tutor yet Tommy. You have to try. That makes the reward that much more meaningful, that much better." He smiled at the encouragement in her voice. She actually sounded excited about learning. He had never felt that way before about anything. All he knew was at that moment, he didn't want to disappoint her. He wanted to make her proud of him. An idea came to him just then, "Well then what about you?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow in confusion, "What about me?" He held her by the shoulders and looked at her hopefully, "What if you were my tutor?" Vivien's eyes widened as she laughed and held up her hands, "Whoa! No! Not a good idea. Sorry but I can't." He just stared at her with those green eyes but didn't speak. She stumbled over her words as she tried to find any excuse to deny him his request. "I can't Tommy. Between work, school and my kid...I just couldn't possibly find the time." He bent down on one knee and grabbed her hand, "Please Viv. Please, I'm begging you. Help me get through this. I'll work around your schedule, whenever you're available. Please. I won't disappoint you, I promise." She scoffed again, "man, if i had a dollar for every time a man said that to me..." She looked at the pitiful, beautiful man on his knees in front of her. She could totally find the time to tutor him if she wanted to...but did she want to? He finally stood and held his gaze. He was killing her. She finally conceded. "Okay. Okay fine, i will help you but the first time you bullshit me or leave me hanging...I'm done with you. I don't do second chances." He smiled at her, producing the dimples once again. He pulled her into a bear hug and she thought she would faint at any minute if he didn't let go. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly. She could feel her knees about to buckle. She fell back into the seat of her car and fumbled with the seat belt. She finally found her words, "Meet me at O'Malley's pub tomorrow night at seven. Bring what you need for your class. We'll study at my place." She pointed one dainty finger at him, "If you're late or you stand me up..." He cut her off by closing her door. "I'll be there" he said through the window. She rolled her eyes as she started the car and pulled out of the parking space. Tommy stood and watched her drive away, excited for the first time in a long time.


	7. Hot For Teacher

Vivien didn’t sleep all night. She actually agreed to tutor Tommy…at her place. She couldn’t believe that she let him talk her into doing it. Her anxiety got the best of her and she stayed up all night cleaning the apartment from top to bottom. She didn’t know why she cared so much about making a good impression but she did. When it was late enough in the morning that she was sure she wouldn’t wake her, Vivien called Erica who was through the roof about the news. Vivien reminded her over and over again that it wasn’t a date. She was only helping tutor him for his math class. Erica ignored her and continued on and on about what she should wear and how she should act. “What about dinner?” Erica asked. Vivien groaned, “It’s not a date! If he’s hungry then he can eat on his own.” Erica began sending her meal ideas through text. “So what are you gonna wear?” Erica asked excitedly. “He’s meeting me at work so I’ll be wearing jeans and when I get home, I’m putting my pajama pants on.” It was Erica’s turn to groan now, “No girl! You are not putting on those ratty ass pajama bottoms! Even I’m sick of those things. We gotta get you some new sexy pajamas!” Vivien laughed, “Who cares if he likes my pajamas? He’s not spending the night!” Erica chuckled wickedly, “…not yet.” Shaking her head, Vivien hung up the phone and went about getting Luke ready for the day. Usually on Saturdays they would go to the park before Vivien had to go to work but this Saturday Heydi had called and asked if Luke could spend the night. Her husband Dean was renting some movies for their kids and making popcorn. They were going to build a blanket fort in the living room and Heydi thought that maybe Luke would enjoy it too. Vivien had agreed and was grateful for Heydi stepping in. She hadn’t even thought about what do with Luke since Tommy was going over. She took Luke over to Heydi’s and sat to chat with her old friend for a few minutes before she had to go to work. Dean walked in and gave Vivien a hug and immediately asked if she was seeing anybody. It was usually his first question whenever he saw her. Vivien shook her head, “No not yet.” Heydi smacked her husband’s bottom, “She’s not ready yet! When she is, I’m sure she’ll let us know.” Heydi turned to her, “You’ll let me know right?” Vivien laughed, “Yes I will let you know. I promise.” Dean snuck his two cents in once again, “I’m just saying…you’re not getting any younger!” Heydi turned and threw a bundled pair of socks at her husband who caught them then blew her a kiss. She rolled her eyes, “Ignore him. You still have plenty of time.” Vivien nodded and stood. “I better get to work. Thank you again for inviting Luke over.” Heydi hugged her and walked her to the door. After kissing Luke goodbye, she was on her way to the bar. She was already nervous about seeing Tommy. She had actually styled her hair and worn a little bit of makeup. She donned a pair of tight jeans that accentuated her rear and a low cut top. She checked herself in the rearview mirror and sighed. Why are you trying so hard? She thought to herself. You barely know this guy and for all you know, he could be an ass like all the rest. Still, she made sure to shave just in case. She scolded herself for even having those thoughts. The plan was to tutor and that was it. She would keep it strictly business.

The bar was busy that night and Vivien was constantly running from one end of the bar to the other. Although her cleavage revealing top brought in plenty of tips, it also brought unwanted attention. She spent majority of the night ignoring cat calls and fending off unwanted advances from drunken men. Tommy strolled into the bar at 6:45pm. Vivien’s heart stopped when she saw him. He was wearing loose fitting jeans with a long sleeve thermal shirt that hugged his muscular body. He had the familiar toothpick in his mouth. He was absolutely delectable. Every woman’s head turned when he walked by. He didn’t even seem to notice because the second his eyes caught Vivien’s, they stayed there. He took a seat at the bar and watched her as she served customers. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. My god she’s everything. He thought to himself. He let his eyes wander over her body since she was too busy to notice. He could stare all he wanted. She looked different tonight. She had her hair done and she was dressed to kill. He wondered if this was how she normally dressed for work or if she didn’t specially for him. The man sitting next to him caught his gaze and grinned, “She’s a beauty ain’t she? That girl is something else.” Tommy grunted in response and nodded. The man lifted his glass to Vivien as she approached. She smiled in response and then turned to Tommy, “Hey, I should be done here pretty soon. Would you like a drink while you wait?” He took a moment to respond before saying “Whisky please”. She nodded and poured him a glass. An older woman walked up and stood next to Tommy. Her eyes roamed over his body as she placed her hand on his bicep. “Hey there handsome, I can’t believe you’re drinking all alone tonight. Can I buy you a drink?” She leaned into him as she spoke, her words slurring from the plethora of drinks she had consumed. Vivien felt a small pang of jealousy deep in her gut and she hated it. He could talk to whomever he wanted, even if the woman was old enough to be his mother. Tommy lifted his glass and politely declined, “No thank you miss. I already got a drink.” She gave him a drunken pout and leaned in closer to whisper into his ear, “Then how about some company?” Tommy gently pushed her away, “Sorry but I’m actually waiting for someone. You have a goodnight.” The woman lifted her chin at him, “Your loss.” She staggered away from the bar. Tommy lifted his glass to Vivien and winked at her, “Thanks doll.” She smiled and turned away from him not wanting him to see her blush ten shades of crimson.

When her relief showed up, Vivien had everything ready to go. “I just have to count down my drawer” she told Tommy. “It’ll just be a few minutes.” He nodded, “Take you time doll.” She hurried off to the back room. “Doll” she could get used to him calling her that. She normally hated pet names but for some reason when they were coming from Tommy, it gave her butterflies. Vivien was ready to go about fifteen minutes later. Tommy was still sitting at the bar looking at his phone when she walked up. He flashed his dimples at her, “Ready to go?” She nodded, “Where are your books?” He motioned to the door, “They’re outside in the car. I figured I would follow you to your place if that’s cool.” She nodded quickly, “Yeah that’s perfect. I wasn’t aware you had a car.” He laughed, “I just got one. Taking the bus in the town kinda sucks.” She had to agree. She remembered the days when she had to take public transportation. She didn’t miss it one bit. Tommy walked her to her car and held the door open for her. It was nice to have someone do those things. No one had ever held doors open or walked her to her car. She had to admit, she kind of liked it. She gave Tommy the directions to her place in case they got separated. She was sweating profusely on the way home. She took deep breaths to calm herself down but there was nothing that could ease the knot in her stomach. She felt nauseous. It had been a long time since she had a man in her home…alone. She told herself that it wasn’t a big deal. They were just studying. She gave herself one last pep talk as she pulled into the driveway of her duplex. Before she could unbuckle her seatbelt, Tommy was at her door waiting to hold it open. She politely thanked him as she got out. She led the way up the path to her door and tried to keep her hands from shaking as she put the key in the lock. They entered her home and as she switched on the light, Tommy relaxed as he surveyed the quaint two bedroom duplex. She had it decorated in rich tones of blue, gold, red and brown. There was a faint smell of Jasmine in the air. Her couches were big and soft and she had a brown cuddle chair in the corner. It was a very peaceful atmosphere that she had created for herself. “Would you like a tour?” She asked nervously as she set her purse down. Tommy nodded, “yeah sure”. She led him through the living room which was connected to the dining area. “This is obviously the living room and dining table over here and through here is the kitchen.” He followed her into a small tidy kitchen. Everything was organized and had its place. Even her spice jars were in order. “You do a lot of cooking?” He asked. She smiled at her kitchen, “Yeah I try to and baking. I really enjoy it. It’s kind of therapeutic you know? Open some wine, turn on some music and get lost in whatever dish you’re creating.” He smiled at her, “Maybe you can cook for me sometime…” She chuckled nervously and changed the subject by leading him down the hall. “Uh…over here is the restroom.” She purposely bypassed her bedroom and led him to the back door. She opened the curtains and gestured to the backyard. “It’s not a huge yard but it’s big enough to barbecue and for my son to play.” She accidentally bumped into him as she turned to walk back down the hall. She lost her breath as he put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. She apologized awkwardly and continued back to the living room. “So where is your little man?” Tommy asked curiously. He wondered if the kid was with his father and what that situation was like. “Oh, Luke is with his Aunt Heydi tonight. She watches him for me quite a bit. She’s my best friend. We’d be totally lost without her and her husband.” She walked to the mantle in her living room and pointed at some pictures. Several of her and her son and her little boy with a couple that he assumed to be Heydi and her husband Dean, along with their two children. Tommy smiled at the pictures, “He’s a cute kid. You’re lucky to have such good friends.” He could see the warmth spread across her face but she didn’t answer. She just smiled at the pictures. Tommy looked around at the art hanging on her walls. “You have a thing for trees?” She nodded, “Oh yeah I do. Living out here in the desert, we only have certain kinds. I love oaks and redwoods but there’s nothing quite like the look of a dead tree or a tree in the middle of winter. It’s so vulnerable and beautiful to me. You know what I mean?” He stared at her intently, “Yeah…I do.” She blushed and looked at her feet. He couldn’t get over this woman. He loved the way her eyes lit up when she talked about something she was passionate about but he’d never seen a woman more beautiful that she was when she talked about her son. It made him think of his own mother and his heart swelled. “Anyway” Vivien continued, “should we get started?”

She headed to the dining area and motioned for Tommy to sit. “Can I get you anything to drink? I have beer, coffee, water, tea…” She shouldn’t have offered beer. What if it made him frisky? Lucky for her he didn’t choose it. “Coffee would be great.” She headed to the kitchen to turn on her machine. “If you want to get your notes out and your book, we’ll get started in a second. I’d just like to change if you don’t mind.” He nodded, “Yeah sure.” She disappeared into her room and quickly changed out of her jeans and slinky top and into a pair of yoga pants and a tank. She gave her armpits and breath a quick sniff test and threw her hair up in a ponytail. She returned to the kitchen to make the coffee. “How do you like it?” she asked. He stared at her and wasn’t really paying attention to the question as he was too distracted by the way her rear end looked in those pants. “I’m sorry what?” he asked, bringing himself back to the present. “You coffee” she said again, “how do you like it?” He chuckled, “Oh, black is fine. Thanks.” She grabbed his coffee and a water bottle for herself and joined him at the table. “Okay let’s see what we got.” She began looking over his assignments for the next test when she came across Gary’s notes. She gave Tommy the side eye and he grinned at her sheepishly. She had to admit that it was impressive. “He sure is thorough” she said. Gary had all the notes and answers for the upcoming test. Tommy cleared his throat, “So yeah, you think you can teach me this stuff so that I don’t need him anymore? I just don’t see how I’m gonna learn all this in the next two weeks.” She patted his hand, “You can do anything you set your mind to Tommy and I’m going to do my best to help you.” He looked skeptical but he offered her a half smile. She did the head cock that he loved so much. “What is your motivation Tommy? Why are you doing all this?” He looked surprised and didn’t answer for a few seconds. No one had ever asked him that. Hell, he hadn’t even asked himself that question. “I want to have something” he finally said, “Something of my own. I come from nothing. I don’t want to be known for that, for never doing anything with my life. I guess I want to prove to myself that I’m capable of more. I’d like to have my own business, my own gym. Is that stupid?” She smiled at him and shook her head, “It’s not stupid at all. I think it’s brilliant. That dream is going to be your motivation to get through this, the driving force behind you when you feel like quitting. I won’t let you quit.” He looked at her with the most intense look she had ever seen and her breath caught in her throat. He wanted to kiss her so bad but he knew he’d blow it if he tried. It wasn’t the right time. She was still wary about letting him too close but still, all he wanted to do was grab her to him and kiss her blind until she went weak in the knees. She broke the eye contact and patted the book in front of him, “enough wasting time mister. Let’s get cracking.” She spent the next two hours giving him a refresher on algebra and going over calculus. Tommy looked like his head was going to explode. Vivien chuckled, “We’ll tackle one thing at a time. Once we’re sure you have the algebra down, we’ll move on to the harder stuff.” He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “It feels hopeless. What’s the point of math anyway? It’s not like we ever use it.” She laughed and nodded, “most of the time you’d be right but if you want to run your own gym, I’m guessing you’re going to at some point.”

She was getting up to get him another coffee when there was a knock at the door. She stopped in her tracks and stared at the door. “Who could that be? I’m not expecting anyone.” Tommy stood, “Oh that’s probably for me.” He walked to the door and Vivien watched him in shock. Who the hell was he inviting over to her house? She could feel her anger starting to boil and was about to rip him a new one when he opened the door and standing there was a pizza delivery guy. Tommy paid him and walked the pizza over to the table. Vivien was in the same spot just staring at him with a stunned look on her face. Tommy shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He didn’t stop to think if it would upset her. He just wanted to do something nice since she was helping him. He shouldn’t have assumed. He silently cursed himself, “I’m sorry. I just took it upon myself to order dinner on the way over here. I thought since you were taking the time to help me, the least I could do was buy you dinner. I hope that’s okay.” He was expecting her to go in on him about not having any consideration so he was pleasantly surprised when she smiled sweetly. “I appreciate that, thank you Tommy. That was really sweet of you but how did you know what kind of pizza I liked?” He shrugged, “I took a wild guess. I figured since you got a three year old, he probably don’t eat much other than cheese or pepperoni.” Vivien laughed wholeheartedly, “You’re good and you’re right. It’s been a long time since I’ve had anything other than those two options.” He opened the box letting out the heavenly aroma. She had forgotten to eat during the day and she hadn’t realized until now how hungry she was. Tommy pointed to the pizza, “That’s why I got half pepperoni and half works, so you could choose.” She felt her stomach flutter. No one had ever taken her wants into consideration. He was making it very hard for her indeed. “I’ll get us some plates” she said as she walked to the kitchen. She returned with plates, napkins and two beers. What the hell? What was it going to hurt? Tommy took a plate and served her, he even opened her beer. She could get used to this. She held up her beer, “Cheers. Here’s to you. You’re going to ace that test.” He clicked his bottle against hers, “and to you, the most beautiful math tutor a man has ever laid eyes on.” She blushed again. He was starting to enjoy making her turn different shades of red. He figured that she must not have been treated very well in the past and right then and there he decided that he was going to change that. He was going to show her just what she had been missing.


	8. Chapter 8

Vivien and Tommy studied together for the next two weeks, alternating between her place and the campus library. He was extremely nervous but he actually felt ready come test day. Waiting to find out his score was torture and he didn’t sleep a wink the next few days. Friday afternoon, Vivien was in the library doing some research when Tommy sat down next to her, his face like stone. “What’s wrong?” she asked, giving him her full attention. He hung his head and shook it sadly. Her heart started to sink when he looked up and shouted “I passed!” He banged on the table and in excitement. “Quiet please!” the librarian hissed at him. He waved to her then lowered his voice, “I can’t believe I did it.” Vivien clapped her hands and bounced in her seat, “I knew you could do it! I told you! Tommy that’s great, I’m so happy for you!” He pulled her to him and gave her a hard squeeze, immediately taking her breath away. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” He kissed her cheek lightly and she blushed. “It was nothing, I’m glad I could help.” He took her hand and sobered for a minute, “It was something. You’re something. No one has ever believed in me that much. I don’t know how I can repay you for your support.” She was touched. He was genuinely grateful and it made her feel good to be able to help somebody. She patted his hand, “You don’t have to repay me. I was glad to help.” He stood up and held out his hand, “Come on.” She took his hand reluctantly, “Where are we going?” He gently pulled her out of the library and headed towards the parking lot, “Tommy where are we going?” Vivien asked again. He stopped next to his car and held the passenger door open for her, “I want to show you something.” She didn’t move for a moment as she contemplated on what to do. He pleaded at her with those green eyes and that was all she needed. “I can’t stay out long” she said, “I’ll need to text Heydi and let her know that I may be late picking up Luke.” He nodded and helped her into the car and ran around to the driver side. “So where are we going?” She asked. He winked at her, “Just sit back and relax.” 

They drove for about ten minutes before they arrived downtown on Fourth Avenue. Tommy parked in front of an old building that had a “For Lease” sign in the window. Vivien got out of the car and Tommy motioned to the building, “What do you think?” Vivien looked around, “Of what?” He laughed and pointed to the building once again, “My gym”. Vivien peeked in one of the windows and took in the large space. It definitely needed a lot of maintenance but it had potential. “Did you buy it already?” He shook his head, “Nah, not yet. I’m met the agent though. I’m hoping we can make some sort of deal on the price. If I wait until I get my degree, it probably won’t be on the market anymore.” She decided to get a little personal, “Can you afford to do that right now?” She realized that they’d never discussed anything about their personal lives in the past few weeks that they’ve known each other. She didn’t even know if he had a job or how he earned money. He drove a nice truck so he had to have some sort of income. Tommy seemed a bit uncomfortable with the question but he simply said, “I got some money put away.” She didn’t press any further. It really wasn’t any of her business what he could or could not afford. She smiled at him, “Well I hope you get it. Do you have a name chosen already?” He shrugged, “I was thinking ‘Fourth Avenue Fight Club’ or maybe just ‘Conlon’s Gym’.” She raised an eyebrow, “Fight club?” He nodded, “Didn’t I mention it would be a mixed martial arts gym?” Vivien shook her head. She didn’t know he was in to such a brutal sport but now that she looked at him, his body, the way he carried himself, it made sense. “I didn’t know you were into that. Did you do it for very long?” she asked. Tommy shrugged nonchalantly, “yeah a bit” and then immediately changed the subject. He walked her back to the car, “Come on. I’ll get you back to your car so you’re not late picking up your boy.” They made small talk during the ride back to Vivien’s car but she could tell that something in Tommy’s demeanor had changed. He seemed distant now and she wondered if she had pressed for too much information regarding the gym. He stared straight ahead as he drove and appeared to be lost in his own thoughts. 

When they reached Vivien’s car, Tommy didn’t get out and open her door like he usually did. He kept the car running and barely looked at her as she gathered her things. “Well I guess I’ll talk to you later. Thank you for showing me the gym, I think it’ll be a great investment for you.” Tommy nodded and gave her a slight smile but didn’t verbally respond. “Ok then…bye.” Vivien closed the door and Tommy drove off. She stood by her car confused. She wasn’t sure what triggered his sudden coldness but decided to chalk it up to the stress. She figured that he would come around on his own. She wasn’t about to beg for attention, especially from someone she barely knew. If he wanted to talk to her, he would find her. She had more important things to worry about than the beautiful Tommy Conlon


End file.
